The Dickinson press., 1887-05-21
EN- ROUTE TO TRIESTE.
Curious Scenery in Austria-Semi-T Tropt.
cal Nc:ctation of tho Adrintic.

Curious Scenery III AuStriR-Semi-Tropts
cal Vegetation of tho Atlriatic.
st. Potter is scarcely more than twenty.
five miles rs the crow flies from the shore of
the Adriatic at Trieste. But as far as resenl-
blancc or suggestion is concerned it might bc
at the antipodes Imagination can scarcely
conceive that semi-tropical sea shore as
dreamy us that of tho lotus eaters lies so hear
to barren, wind swept hills, towering into
peaks that are the abomnation of lcsolation.
But though tho region is curious, with its
scoopcd out valleys and its SUBMITS as bald
as the high Sierra, the district that you tra-
Verse i'll going to Trieste is far moro singular.
The circular valley gives first its distinguish
ing characteristic to the scenery.
l am not i'll the secrets of the gcologistS,
but these valleys seem to be u repetition on u
larger or smaller scale of the dcprcssions in
the limestone districts of tho western states,
called "Sink holes.' A great part of tho rc-
gion is made up of them. Sometimes they
have Il diameter of 100 fcct, sometimes of
mile. In ono or two cases tho formation
broadcns out into circular valley several
miles i'll diameter, containing several villages.
They are generally, however, Of moderate
dimensions and their depth usually has a
certain correspondence with the diameter.
The sides aro barron nearly to tho bottom,
which is usually surrounded by circular
wall, within which may bc u patch of grass
i'll summer, a vineyard or a littlo crop Of
some cereal. The area inclosatl may be Il few
square yards OF several acres, but tho aggrc-
gate of fertility compared with the aggre-
gate of barren and stony hillside indicates Il
contest with nature which would appall even
the stout heart of a farmer in northern New
Hampshire Sometimes the form of the de-
preston is slightly varied, and thcre is level
ground which has received equally niggarlly
treatment from nature, elsewhere and not far
distant 50 prodsal of her gifts.
The road drscenls at first almost imper-
ccptil,ly. Towns with Italian names become
moro frequent. Tho aspect of nature gradu-
ally hrightens. There are vineyards of good
size, orchards that begin to show tho semi
tropical vegetation of the Atlriutic. There
are hillsides on which the work of arorcsta
tion is evident. There are others in which
tho little farms are laid out in long, narrow,
parallclogralns, like the stripes OH our M
tional banner. But as one looks off across
tho barren tracts, strcwn with small howll-
crs, piled up with rocky masses, or pierced
with points, edges, triangles and fantastic
forms of stone, intcrspersed hero and there
with onscs of green pasture or casual cultiva-
tion, the idea of unknd, sullen, unrclcntng
nature cndcavorinS to drive man from of its
taco ever presses painfully upon his spirit.
What Il raradis, this must have been for the
men of the stono age, with the material for
tools, weapons and domestic utensils SO plell.
tiful and cheap Butmcn who were not snva-
gcs came here and toilcd and dclved in the
Very dawn of antiquity, and later, when
Ronc absorbed Italy, when its galleys powcl
the A'rotic and its cities and villages dotted
its brown shores, its ctfcrvescent life bubbletl
up and frotlcl over this rim of hills on to
this plateau that havo cn,leavoreI to do.
scribe.-Austria Cor. San Francisco Chroni.